"What do you think?"

Tony made a face, and waggled his hand a little.

"It's… interesting."

Peter huffed. He knew that meant it wasn't very good. He set the drawing down on the table, again.

"I don't know why I have to take art, anyway. It doesn't have anything to do with being an engineer. Or a superhero," he pointed out.

"Because you need to be able to express what's in your head," Stark told him, patiently. He remembered having the same conversation. Surprisingly, it was with his father, and Tony had been a bit older than Peter, but Howard Stark had been much less approving of the complaint. As far as Tony's father had been concerned, he knew what was best for his son, and he didn't want any arguing. Even crazier than having the same conversation, now, with his own son, was the fact that Howard had been right about this topic. He wished his father were there to hear him, just then. "Art helps you let others understand what it is you're trying to show them."

"No one is going to know that this is a guy riding a dragon…" Peter pointed out.

Which made Tony smile.

"You'll get better at it," he promised. "With practice."

"I'm going to fail art class."

"It's not that bad."

"The others are better."

"They're older," Tony reminded him. "They've had years more practice. Your teacher understands."

He'd already made sure of it, but it turned out that it hadn't been a conversation that was necessary. Peter's art teacher was definitely aware that the youngest student in the school wasn't Picasso. Yet. He'd assured Tony that he was only expecting participation and a willingness to make the attempt. He'd be grading accordingly.

Peter simply sighed.

"We could work on math…"

"Nope." Tony glanced at his watch. "It's bedtime, Rembrandt. I want you fresh for tomorrow."

"But I'm not tired."

"I'll read to you."

"You will?"

"Yup."

Peter could read, of course. He could read anything on the bookshelf in his room – and many were complicated books. But he loved it when Tony read to him before bed. Not only because the man would lounge in Peter's bed with him, letting Peter cuddle up beside him and look at the pictures, but because Tony would make different voices for different characters. Peter could close his eyes and listen to Tony's voice, and feel the vibrations go through his chest.

It was great.

He climbed into his bed and picked up the stuffed bear, which made Tony smile. Before he'd gone into daycare that afternoon, JARVIS had assured Peter all was well at home, which was the only reason the boy hadn't begged to rush back to the house to toss the stuffed bear into the safe with the rest of his treasures.

When they'd returned home, his bedroom had been Peter's first stop. Tony had watched as Peter looked at the bed, and had visibly sighed with relief when he'd found his bed neatly made with new, clean, bedding, and the stuffed animal in a prominent place on one of the pillows. The room had been straightened, as well, but Peter was a neat child by nature and not prone to leaving garbage laying around. And obviously not one to leave anything else out, either.

The boy had opened his safe, verified everything was well with his world and had left the envelope where it was to join Tony and go to the kitchen to start dinner before they worked on schoolwork. Stark was pleased and made a mental note to speak with their cleaning person and thank her.

"What are we going to read?" Peter asked, as he got under the blankets.

"Any requests?"

Bedtime stories were supposed to be fun, and Tony didn't allow Peter to pick anything assigned by his teachers.

"Something exciting."

Tony went to the bookshelf, studied it for a moment, and then pulled a book out and brought it back to the bed. He handed it to Peter to check out while he settled himself next to the boy.

"What do you think?"

"Around the World in 80 days?"

"Yup."

"Were they walking?"

The billionaire chuckled.

"It's an old story," he explained. Peter was way ahead in the math and sciences, but he hadn't had a lot of focus on literature, yet, and Tony was enjoying introducing him to the classics. The bookshelf was filled with them. "About a guy who makes a bet that he can go all the way around the world in 80 days – hence the title."

"Is it good?"

"There's no such thing as a bad book."

Peter cuddled up against Tony, one arm around his bear and the other hand resting on his father's stomach as he watched him open the book. Two pages in, his head was on Tony's chest and his eyes were closed. The steady tone and the fact that the hand that wasn't holding the book was gently rubbing his back put Peter to sleep before the first chapter was ended, and Tony read another page or two, just to make sure he wasn't going to wake.

With a soft smile, he eased Peter onto the pillow, and carefully slid out from beside him, tucking the blankets around the boy and the bear.

"Goodnight, son," he whispered, pressing a kiss against the round, little cheek. Peter didn't reply, but that was fine with him. He straightened, and left the room quietly. "JARVIS? You got him."

"I'm on it."

Tony headed for his new workroom to tinker for a while, still feeling warm and gooey and ready to get some work done. Even as he opened the door, though, and started pulling up specifications for the newest suit, he was listening for his AI to give him any indication that Peter was waking. It was his new reality, and he loved it.

OOOOOOOOO

The rest of the week went smoothly, and there was definitely a routine being created.

Peter was sleeping more – not all night, every night – but in the five days that week, he slept through the night, once, and the conversations with JARVIS were shorter as the AI took it upon himself to cajole the boy back to his bed and to sleep once he'd had a chance to make sure the world around him was still safe. He didn't end up in Tony's bed at all that week.

Stark would wake, get his morning started and take care of anything that he needed to do before going in and waking Peter. The boy wasn't always easy to wake; the extra sleep he was getting was something new for his little body, and Peter was beginning to enjoy the idea of sleeping in. Usually it was a tickle or two and a loving reminder that he had to get ready for school or Maria or Phil would see him in his pajamas when they came to get him. Peter would grin at that and push the blankets back, convinced once more, that getting up was okay after all.

They'd have breakfast together. Nothing fancy; usually oatmeal or cereal with a pop tart chaser for Peter and coffee and a muffin of some sort for Tony. The boy never declined chocolate milk, of course, and Tony would press juice on him when he could. While they ate, they discussed their day and what was scheduled, and would continue that discussion until Peter's security person would come pick him up. Usually Maria, but occasionally it was Phil.

There would be a quick conversation to make sure everyone was on the same page, and then Peter would bundle into his coat, hug Tony and grab his backpack and go to school. Tony would sit around the empty house for a few minutes longer, making sure whatever was needed for dinner was in the fridge, and then he'd leave, too, and go to the tower.

The man and boy would usually talk at Peter's lunch, but not for long, and then Peter would come for his treat after school before going to daycare, and Tony would come collect him when he was done working for the day and ready to go home. This was a favorite time of Tony's. Especially if it was arts and crafts day. The kids in the daycare had figured out by then that he was Ironman and were excited to see him, but Peter was always the happiest, and would hold up whatever he'd created that day for Tony's inspection.

The billionaire would ooo and ahhh over it, appropriately, and they'd pack up Peter's things and go home. Dinner, homework, some together time in the game room, or Peter's room playing Legos or even drawing or watching a movie, and then a bath if it was needed, or extra play time if it wasn't. Bedtime, complete with a book, and Tony would hang out with him until he fell asleep.

It wasn't a complicated schedule, but he'd been told it was better that way, and he and Peter both agreed.

And then, of course, the schedule was turned upside down. It had to happen. Tony was Ironman, and many of the other people in the little boy's life were Avengers.

Earth's mightiest heroes and all that.